Nick Emery: Consider sharing in God’s passion for adoption

God is passionate about adoption. Ephesians 1:4 and 5 says: “Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. This is what He wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure.” With God, everything changes for us. With God, we can experience forgiveness of our sins — and He not only forgives us, but He also adopts us into His family and He does so with great joy!

Most biological parents know full well the longing for a child, one they pray for and plan for. Or perhaps there wasn’t a pray and a plan, but they still become a parent. Yet, not everyone who wants to be a parent can have biological children. So although I have heard of planned and unplanned pregnancies, I have never heard of an unplanned adoption. The Lord set out on a mission to redeem us and to bring us into His family. We have been rescued from despair, from spending eternity apart from God and this was on purpose!

There are many people who today have a heart for the adoption of children. Some of them know what it truly feels like to long to be a parent, but simply cannot have their own children. Some of them have a heart for adoption of other children because they know the need is great. Yet all who enter into the journey of adopting children do so with purpose. And in doing so, they learn in every way possible God’s passion for adoption and His passion for us! Max Lucado in “The Great House of God” said: “It would be enough if God just cleansed your name, but he does more. He gives you his name. It would be enough if God just set you free, but he does more. He takes you home. God sought you, found you, signed the papers, and took you home.”

As followers of Christ we can live out God’s passion for adoption with children in our community. Why not? We have been adopted by Him as His sons and daughters. We have been given a new life because of His shed blood on the cross. Why can’t we then, in response to our own adoption, reflect God’s heart for adoption, by seeking out and helping those in our community who need a forever home? If sharing our faith is important — and it is — and if advancing the Kingdom of God should be our chief aim, then why not display God’s heart for adoption with people right in our own community? We can show God’s love by being willing to make the choice to adopt or by making the choice to support those around us who have a heart for adoption.

Just like our personal need for spiritual adoption is great so is the need to adopt children today. In all of rural Nevada, Carson City and Douglas County poses the biggest challenge for finding foster and adoptive homes. Our spiritual adoption changed everything for us. It granted for us a forever home with God. Prayerfully consider how you can help those in our community find a forever home — spiritually speaking, as well as practically speaking — the need for both is great! Extravagantly share with others what God has done for you!

For more information on how you can help in our community those families and children that are in critical need, please contact my friend Lori Nichols at the Nevada Division of Child and Family Services at 775-687-4943, ext. 262.

Nick Emery is the senior pastor at Good Shepherd Wesleyan Church. He can be reached at pastornick@gswc.org.